✏️ Update: November 18, 2024

Have you tried ChatGPT yet?

Remember when ChatGPT first appeared and everyone was amazed by its ability to hold a conversation and generate text that almost seemed human? It was a big deal back then, and AI has only gotten more advanced since.

For those who haven’t had a chance to explore it, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and others like it are essentially chatbots powered by very sophisticated forms of artificial intelligence. You can ask it questions, give it writing prompts, or even have a casual conversation with it. It uses what it has learned from analyzing massive amounts of text data (often referred to as Large Language Models (LLM)) to understand your requests and generate responses that are often surprisingly coherent and relevant.

Today’s ChatGPT is far more than just a cool chatbot that can write poems or answer trivia questions. It’s evolved into something much more powerful and versatile. Let’s take a look at where ChatGPT stands today…

It’s been over a year since ChatGPT first burst onto the scene. Here’s a look at how ChatGPT has changed and what you need to know today.

What’s New and Shiny (But Maybe Not for Everyone)

ChatGPT has seen some major upgrades, but some of the coolest features are still locked behind the ChatGPT Plus subscription. Here’s the breakdown:

• GPT-4 Power (with a Catch): Even free users get to experience the awesomeness of GPT-4, the latest and greatest language model. It’s smarter, more creative, and better at understanding complex requests. However, there’s a usage cap. After a certain number of messages, you’ll be switched back to the older GPT-3.5 model.
• Web Browsing Restricted to Paid Versions: One of the biggest advancements is ChatGPT’s ability to access and process information from the live web. Unfortunately, this is currently exclusive to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Free users are still limited to the knowledge the model had at its last training update, which is estimated to be sometime around December 2021 or early 2022. This means it might not have information about events or developments that happened after that time.
• Plugins? Not for Free: Plugins that let ChatGPT connect to other apps and services (think WebPilot to summarize web content, Wolfram Alpha, for calculations, and Expedia for travel planning) are also a Plus feature for now.
• Image Understanding: ChatGPT became more than just text-based. It gained the ability to understand and discuss images, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
• Custom GPTs: For businesses and developers, the option to create custom versions of ChatGPT (called GPTs) tailored for specific tasks or industries was a game-changer.

How Does It Work (in Layperson’s Terms)?

At its core, ChatGPT still relies on analyzing massive amounts of text data to understand and generate human language. However, the model has become more sophisticated:

• Transformers: The underlying architecture (transformers) has been refined, allowing for better context understanding and more nuanced responses.
• Multimodal Learning: With the addition of image understanding, ChatGPT is moving towards multimodal learning, meaning it can learn from different types of data (text, images, and potentially more in the future).

Accuracy and Factual Reliability

While ChatGPT has become more accurate, it’s still important to be cautious about its output:

• Hallucinations: Like other large language models, ChatGPT can sometimes generate incorrect or nonsensical information, often referred to as “hallucinations.”
• Bias: The model can reflect biases present in the data it was trained on. It’s crucial to be aware of this and critically evaluate its responses.

Plagiarism Concerns

The question of plagiarism with AI-generated content is complex and evolving. While ChatGPT itself isn’t plagiarizing (it’s generating novel text), there are ethical considerations:

• Transparency: Always be transparent about using AI in your work.
• Originality: Don’t solely rely on AI-generated content. Use it as a tool to enhance your own ideas and creativity.
• Academic Integrity: Check your institution’s policies on AI use.

ChatGPT Today: More Than Just a Chatbot

ChatGPT has evolved into a powerful AI tool with a wide range of applications:

• Content creation: Writing, translation, summarization, and more.
• Code generation: Assisting with programming tasks.
• Research and analysis: Gathering information and insights.
• Education and learning: Providing explanations and answering questions.

Here’s an example of how I used ChatGPT to refine my search for a tennis racquet.

The Worrisome Side of AI

While all these advancements are undeniably impressive, it’s also worth taking a moment to consider the potential downsides. The increasing power of AI models like ChatGPT raises valid concerns about:

• Job displacement: As AI becomes more capable of automating tasks previously done by humans, there’s a legitimate fear of job losses in fields like writing, customer service, and even programming.
• Misinformation and bias: AI models can reflect biases present in the data they were trained on, potentially leading to the spread of misinformation or the amplification of harmful stereotypes.
• Ethical considerations: The ability of AI to generate realistic text and images raises concerns about its potential misuse for creating deepfakes, spreading propaganda, or impersonating individuals.
• Over-reliance: Becoming overly reliant on AI tools can stifle creativity and critical thinking skills.

It’s crucial to address these concerns and develop strategies to mitigate the potential risks associated with AI as it continues to evolve.

As AI continues to advance, it’s essential to stay informed about its capabilities and limitations. ChatGPT is a fascinating example of how AI is changing the way we interact with technology and information.